Happy Halloween!

Welcome back to another episode of lost in the Farmers Market, this post is a bit late and will not have all the pictures and information included with it. There is a good reason for all this slackery, the subject intended for this post, specifically how to plant large plants such as shrubs and or trees is complete but, considering how the project evolved while in progress the resulting planting is now a surprise element of Sunday’s Tour. With that said, the planting information won’t be posted until Sunday evening so there is no early sneak peek sort of situation. Don’t worry this post won’t be completely bare until Sunday because we have the following three images from the gardens which won’t ruin any surprises.

The Crescent Moon as seen in the east at dusk.

It's probably no surprise but I've been working until there's no visibility just to get the test gardens ready for the big garden tour on Sunday November the 2nd.  I can tell you, this the pictures on this site have been selectively angled and or cropped not to give away too much and this one is no different, the bottom half of the image has been cropped to cover up some of the patio work. The sky that evening was plenty and it's rare I can get a moon shot that clear unless it's the full moon.

Persicaria microcephala ‘Red Dragon’ – Red Dragon Knotweed

I purchased this plant from Ladybug greenhouses in Fayetteville as a pure impulse buy along with a giant coneflower, and a black and blue salvia. Originally this was the wimpiest of the three and now it's a large and pretty foliage plant that just so happens to have odd tiny flowers. "Big Red" as I've taken to calling this one may yeild some cuttings and those cuttings may appear at the market next year.

Marribum vulgare - Horehound

Surprisingly it's taken a few years to find a good spot for Horehound in the test gardens. This specimen was a surplus plant that no one wanted to buy when offered for sale at the market. As with many things that don't sell they end up in the test gardens. I never expected this lone plant would in one season get bigger then any Horehound ever grown in the test gardens ever even if all the prior ones were combined. More natural Herbs for me, or perhaps you might see cleaned and bagged clippings of this one at the market? 

So with the topics covered and everything arranged as you may have noticed Saturday seems set to be a bit rainy, and yet the market goes on. Surprisingly I’ll be down there unless it’s already raining sideways in the morning, and then I might be down there anyway. The Fayetteville Farmer’s Market runs from 9:00 am through 1:00 pm on Saturdays and between 2:00pm and 6:00pm on Wednesdays. The Fayetteville Farmer’s market is located at 325 Franklin Street on the property of the Fayetteville Transportation Museum. The market runs all year-round, though at least for me, I’ll be discontinuing my presence at the Wednesday market at the end of November until spring of 2015. I’ll be at the Saturday Market however as long as I have materials to bring.

Southward Skies: A northern guide to southern Gardening

This is the second edition of my book, which was published using data compiled from several years of test garden operations. It’s written to aid gardeners of all skill levels in successful garden methods that are targeted for the south east but had proven to be a valued resource for gardens across the eastern coast. It’s certainly a good gift for that gardener you know or for yourself if you’d like to have a reliable field guide. The book costs $25.00 and we do take checks for this item, you can even have it signed.

Good Stuff

Rain Forest & Devil's Tongue Pepper packs - ($1.00)

Cold Season Crops

6x Romaine Lettuce, “Rouge d’Hiver” - 3.5” pot ($3.00)

6x Romaine Lettuce, “Parris Island Cos” - 3.5” pot ($3.00)

9x Mustard Greens, India - 3.5” pot ($3.00)

9x Mustard Greens, Japanese Red Giant - 3.5” pot ($3.00)

6x Cabbage, Copenhagen Market  - 3.5” pot ($3.00)

6x Cabbage, Savoy – Perfection Drumhead  - 3.5” pot ($3.00)

6x Collards, Georgia Southern Creole - 3.5” pot ($3.00)

P.S.

If you have not already signed up for the tour, you still have time.